A team of assessors from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA®) will start assessing the Suwanee Police Department on June 22, 2020 to examine all aspects of the Suwanee Police Department’s policy and procedures, management, operations, and support services, Suwanee Police Chief Mike Jones announced today.
“Verification by the team that the Suwanee Police Department meets the Commission’s state- of-the-art standards is part of a voluntary process to gain accreditation – a highly prized recognition of public safety professional excellence,” said Jones.
As part of the on-site assessment, agency personnel and members of the community are invited to offer comments at a public information session on Monday June 22, 2016 at 4:30 pm. The public information session will be conducted through Zoom, if you would like to attend and make comments please register in advance at: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN__z4V9mt6TsGSKAuZTWJSVg
If for some reason an individual cannot speak at the public information session but would still like to provide comments to the assessment team, he/she may do so by calling 770 904-7655 on Tuesday, June 23, 2020 between the hours of 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm.
Telephone comments, as well as appearances at the public information session, are limited to ten minutes and must address the agency’s ability to comply with CALEA standards. A copy of the standards is available at the Suwanee Police Department, 373 Highway 23 Suwanee, GA 30024. Local contact is Lt. Dan Clark, 770 904-7605.
Persons wishing to offer written comments about the Suwanee Police Department’s ability to meet the standards for accreditation/recognition are requested to write: Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement, Inc. (CALEA®), 13575 Heathcote Boulevard, Suite 320, Gainesville, VA 20155.
“The Suwanee Police Department has to comply with approximately 418 applicable standards in order to gain accredited status,” said Jones. “CALEA accreditation is the benchmark for the professional standards a law enforcement agency needs to meet today.”
The CALEA Program Manager for the Suwanee Police Department is Vincent Dauro. The assessment team is composed of public safety practitioners from similar, but out-of-state, agencies. The assessors will review written materials, interview individuals, and visit offices and other locations where compliance can be witnessed
The assessors are Assistant Chief Ricky Pinksaw and Megan Styron. Once the CALEA Assessors complete their review of the agency, they report back to the full Commission, which will then decide if the agency is to be granted accredited status.
Accreditation is for four years, during which the agency must submit annual reports attesting continued compliance with those standards under which it was initially accredited, and an offsite review of 25% of the agency's standards.
For more information regarding the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. please write the Commission at 13575 Heathcote Boulevard, Suite 320, Gainesville Virginia 20155; or call (800) 368-3757 or (703) 352-4225; or visit www@calea.org.